Here's what we know

[Yorkeys]

Player group is split.
Rath's complicated game plan theories are having a negative effect
Ratten has or will soon have the mandate to ignore Rath and to start dropping do nothing prima donnas. He will need to get on his bike with that one.
Lethlean inherits the CEO position with a lot of baggage. His tenure will be short if performances don't dramatically improve. Kid gloves with the players will probably come off when its down to his personal survival in the job. Too late for this year, unfortunately.
Civilians, probably Saints supporters, are publicly calling out the team's recent putrid performances to players' faces. Their professional bubble can't protect them from that. I hope they do feel the ridicule of other clubs supporters and the media, they deserve it and should show some professional pride in performance. They sure as heck don't care what we think as members.
We do not have strong on field leadership. Steele a great great player but has no support...
We will not make finals this year so its imperative to play youngsters to blood them or weed them out. We know Jones, Butler and more are not up to the standard needed to make finals and win.
Something is badly wrong internally otherwise Tony74 would have made comment about the form slump. He is a good man, no loose lips about personalities from him.
President is embarrassed. I imagine also angry and is probably having lawyers review Ratten's contract, like St Pav says there has to be performance based clauses re tenure.
Another year cruelled. President will make a statement once its mathematically impossible for us to win.
The Board has been asleep at the wheel.

[SunnyErnie]

The whole Board and Ratts need to be sacked. If they give Ratts an extension I wouldn’t be surprised if Moorabbin is attacked with fire bombs

[meher baba]

Player group is split.

Says who?

Rath's complicated game plan theories are having a negative effect

I've seen complaints that Rath has too much influence, but not that he personally designs the game plan.

Ratten has or will soon have the mandate to ignore Rath and to start dropping do nothing prima donnas.

I thought the allegation was that Ratten himself has given Rath too much influence.

Civilians, probably Saints supporters, are publicly calling out the team's recent putrid performances to players' faces.

When? Where? If you mean the alleged brouhaha at the pub, that could have been caused by any number of things.

We will not make finals this year so its imperative to play youngsters to blood them or weed them out. We know Jones, Butler and more are not up to the standard needed to make finals and win.

Jones and Butler both played in the only finals game that Saints have won since 2010. We can still make the finals. Who do you suggest we play instead of them and our other experienced players? NWM, Windhager, Sharman and Byrnes all played on Saturday night. Connolly has looked dreadful at Sandringham. Heath and Peris are nowhere near AFL standard yet. We already know that Highmore is good, but Battle is great, so there isn't really a spot for Highmore just now.

[B.M]

We really want a scapegoat don’t we?!

[cwrcyn]

Here come the pitchforks again. Groan

[Vortex]

This thread OP is a really good example of the worst way how the internet negativity impacts the human race.

Just because an anonymous poster claiming ITK status posts his opinion about Rath doesn't make it truthful or factual.



Now watch it grow legs. Donald Trump would be proud.

[Wayne42]

Did Ratts say to the players..

Beware the thoughts of Rath ?

I'd be more inclined to be wary of the recruiting suggestions of Lethlean.

[bigcarl]

Ratten is coach and afaiac has a mandate to ignore whomever he wants. It’s his head on the block after all.

[Scollop]

Sometimes the posters here on saintsational are worse than the gossip journos

[Devilhead]

Here's what we know ........ OPs ITK status?

Significantly questionable

[D.B.Cooper]

[happy feet]

The whole Board and Ratts need to be sacked. If they give Ratts an extension I wouldn’t be surprised if Moorabbin is attacked with fire bombs

Change the record Ernie, it ain’t gunna happen not matter how hard you harp on moan and complain.

[SunnyErnie]

The whole Board and Ratts need to be sacked. If they give Ratts an extension I wouldn’t be surprised if Moorabbin is attacked with fire bombs

Change the record Ernie, it ain’t gunna happen not matter how hard you harp on moan and complain.

Unfortunately I think you are right by the looks of things. Just another sorry chapter in our history at the Saints. Laughingstock!

[jays]

Lol yous are nuts Ratts isn’t going anywhere not his fault doing the best with s*** list, name our superstars I’ll wait? Look at blues I can name 5, look at Melb, we just don’t have the cattle

[asiu]

this thread needs more cowbells shooting

[st.byron]

The OP is accurate with regard to Rath. And Ratten being too heavily influenced by him....i.e......not enough his own man in the driver's seat.
Also accurate re the group being a house divided.

[meher baba]

The OP is accurate with regard to Rath. And Ratten being too heavily influenced by him....i.e......not enough his own man in the driver's seat.
Also accurate re the group being a house divided.

I have no pretensions to be ITK, so I can’t argue with you about these claims. But, since the win over Geelong, the team has looked badly out of form against both good teams and bad. And this is perfectly explicable by some key players missing and/or experiencing a form slump and/or possibly playing injured: Steele, Higgins, DMac, Hill, Ryder, Marshall, King, Membrey, NWM (who keeps getting selected, but TBH hasn’t been going all that well), etc. Suddenly, our marvellous depth doesn’t look all that deep: and we know that because we are seeing the likes of Byrnes and Sharman playing AFL.

And, of course, poor form and poor results can lead to internal conflict: it’s a chicken and egg situation.

I continue to believe that none of Ratten, Rath, Finnis, Lethlean, the physio or the guy responsible for supplying fresh towels are responsible. The main challenge is for the players to get their form and confidence back. A winning team is a happy team.

And history has shown that these things can turn around quickly. A win over Carlton could make a massive difference.

[Yorkeys]

The coach's theme for the year is "why not us". The head of the football dept and CEO designate says the why not is due to fact the list is not good (great for morale, eh?). Tell me there is not conflict between those two positions. And Rath? if you are not helping you are hindering and no one has suggested he is helping in fact the opposite. Lets not be too naive that is just a collective coincidental loss of form by previously well performed players and a sudden loss of teamwork just because....? Why? and suddenly it will all return like magic?

And to beat Carlton. Towards which end of the spectrum are we expecting: keep them to 4 goals or we score 100+ points. Are either realistic? Carlton is going to give us a hiding. None of our so called half forwards will get near Saad for one thing, And Dougal on McKay or Curnow, really.

Hopefully a watershed game and we can cut the BS and start being professional and united.

[Vortex]

The coach's theme for the year is "why not us". The head of the football dept and CEO designate says the why not is due to fact the list is not good (great for morale, eh?). Tell me there is not conflict between those two positions. And Rath? if you are not helping you are hindering and no one has suggested he is helping in fact the opposite. Lets not be too naive that is just a collective coincidental loss of form by previously well performed players and a sudden loss of teamwork just because....? Why? and suddenly it will all return like magic?

And to beat Carlton. Towards which end of the spectrum are we expecting: keep them to 4 goals or we score 100+ points. Are either realistic? Carlton is going to give us a hiding. None of our so called half forwards will get near Saad for one thing, And Dougal on McKay or Curnow, really.

Hopefully a watershed game and we can cut the BS and start being professional and united.

I'm curious, other than one very short a cryptic comment from T74, what specific part of how he goes about it has convinced you he's not up to the job?

[saynta]

Player group is split.
Rath's complicated game plan theories are having a negative effect
Ratten has or will soon have the mandate to ignore Rath and to start dropping do nothing prima donnas. He will need to get on his bike with that one.
Lethlean inherits the CEO position with a lot of baggage. His tenure will be short if performances don't dramatically improve. Kid gloves with the players will probably come off when its down to his personal survival in the job. Too late for this year, unfortunately.
Civilians, probably Saints supporters, are publicly calling out the team's recent putrid performances to players' faces. Their professional bubble can't protect them from that. I hope they do feel the ridicule of other clubs supporters and the media, they deserve it and should show some professional pride in performance. They sure as heck don't care what we think as members.
We do not have strong on field leadership. Steele a great great player but has no support...
We will not make finals this year so its imperative to play youngsters to blood them or weed them out. We know Jones, Butler and more are not up to the standard needed to make finals and win.
Something is badly wrong internally otherwise Tony74 would have made comment about the form slump. He is a good man, no loose lips about personalities from him.
President is embarrassed. I imagine also angry and is probably having lawyers review Ratten's contract, like St Pav says there has to be performance based clauses re tenure.
Another year cruelled. President will make a statement once its mathematically impossible for us to win.
The Board has been asleep at the wheel.

More like here's what you think you know and it is pure rubbish, a fantasy.

[Scollop]

The coach's theme for the year is "why not us". The head of the football dept and CEO designate says the why not is due to fact the list is not good (great for morale, eh?). Tell me there is not conflict between those two positions. And Rath? if you are not helping you are hindering and no one has suggested he is helping in fact the opposite. Lets not be too naive that is just a collective coincidental loss of form by previously well performed players and a sudden loss of teamwork just because....? Why? and suddenly it will all return like magic?

And to beat Carlton. Towards which end of the spectrum are we expecting: keep them to 4 goals or we score 100+ points. Are either realistic? Carlton is going to give us a hiding. None of our so called half forwards will get near Saad for one thing, And Dougal on McKay or Curnow, really.

Hopefully a watershed game and we can cut the BS and start being professional and united.

Whoa! That’s some serious shi!t right there. I’m very disappointed with this post from you Yorkeys

I expected more……







….humour

[BringBackMadDog]

Player group is split.
Rath's complicated game plan theories are having a negative effect
Ratten has or will soon have the mandate to ignore Rath and to start dropping do nothing prima donnas. He will need to get on his bike with that one.
Lethlean inherits the CEO position with a lot of baggage. His tenure will be short if performances don't dramatically improve. Kid gloves with the players will probably come off when its down to his personal survival in the job. Too late for this year, unfortunately.
Civilians, probably Saints supporters, are publicly calling out the team's recent putrid performances to players' faces. Their professional bubble can't protect them from that. I hope they do feel the ridicule of other clubs supporters and the media, they deserve it and should show some professional pride in performance. They sure as heck don't care what we think as members.
We do not have strong on field leadership. Steele a great great player but has no support...
We will not make finals this year so its imperative to play youngsters to blood them or weed them out. We know Jones, Butler and more are not up to the standard needed to make finals and win.
Something is badly wrong internally otherwise Tony74 would have made comment about the form slump. He is a good man, no loose lips about personalities from him.
President is embarrassed. I imagine also angry and is probably having lawyers review Ratten's contract, like St Pav says there has to be performance based clauses re tenure.
Another year cruelled. President will make a statement once its mathematically impossible for us to win.
The Board has been asleep at the wheel.

What complete bulls***. 3 weeks ago we were 8-3 were the playing group split then, was the gameplay complicated. God there is some absolute horseshit written on this site

[lewdogs]

Here's what we know.... we're out of form.

[Teflon]

Here’s what we both know…
It won’t take any longer to share..

[repta]

I believe the game plan has been worked out
A few key injuries which has unsettled the game plan further
Causing cracks have appeared in personalities in the playing group.

StKilda play far too emotionally and less on structure and discipline.

Season has been derailed, however it is not done yet (but getting mighty close).